George Frideric Handel

MESSIAH | First Part

​Hyunju Ha | soprano
Karolina Pilou| mezzosoprano
Thomas Massey | tenor
Rick Agster | bass
Parris Lewis | Actress

AMERICAN MODERN ENSEMBLE
Regi Papa | Violin I
Victoria Paterson | Violin II
Heather Paauwe| Viola
Peter Sachon | Cello
Pawel Knapik | Bass
Keve Wilson | Oboe
Boris Baev | Oboe
Mark Cogley | Continuo

Deepdof | Filming and Editing
Rodrigo Aranjuelo | Audio Recording and Editing
Stefanos Koroneos | Art Director

​David Rosenmeyer | CONDUCTOR

Hyunju Ha, Soprano, studied Korean National University of Arts (Bachelor’s degree). Additionally, she was majored in Lied and Oratorio under Haeran Hong. She has recently earned her Master's degree at Mannes The New School, where she studied with Arthur Levy and Ted Taylor. She performed as 1st Lady, “Die Zauberflöte”, Giannetta, “L’Elisir d’Amore”, in South Korea. She was awarded an arts scholarship from Hyundai capital in 2013. In New York, she performed various opera scene concerts, such as Manon, Lucia, Gilda and Mimi. Recently, she was casted as Dew Fairy in “Hansel & Gretel” at Chicago Summer Opera, which was postponed to the next year due to the COVID-19.

Karolina Pilou has sung Azucena in Verdi’s “Il Trovatore”, Zita in Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi”, Older Woman in Dove’s “Flight, Quickly in Verdi’s “Falstaff, Marquise in “La Fille du Régiment” and Morna in “Malvina di Scozia”. In the 2016-2017 season she made her Metropolitan Opera debut singing Berta in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” and has since returned to The Met for their productions of Parsifal, Thais, Falstaff and Maria Stuarda. She has won Awards from Foundations such as the Gerda Lissner, Licia Abanese, Career Bridges and The Olga Forrai Foundation. She recently made her Carnegie Hall Debut with Vivaldi’s Gloria.

Thomas Massey is a young and upcoming tenor from the Tampa Bay area. He began his studies under the guidance of his grandparents and later obtained his BA from The Mannes College of Music, where he studied with Arthur Levy. Some of his credits as a principal artist include New York City Opera, Opera Tampa, Teatro Grattacielo, Florida Lyric Opera, Saint Petersburg Opera, and Sarasota Opera. He is booked to sing the Steersman in Opera Maines upcoming production of ‘’The Flying Dutchman’’ next summer. He dedicates this performance in the Messiah to his cousin Michael who passed away recently.

Rick Agster (Bass) provides “excellent comic relief” and a “warm basso voice and persona.” Rick most recently worked with Teatro Grattacielo in the filming of Fedora as Doctor Boroff. Prior, Rick appeared as Simone in Gianni Schicchi with Regina Opera; as Benoit/Alcindoro in La Boheme with MidAtlantic Opera; and premiered the role of Police Chief Bimson in the new opera The Silk City with Garden State Opera. Notable roles include Zuniga in Carmen, Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Doctor Grenvil in La Traviata, Antonio and Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro and Bogdonowitsch in The Merry Widow

Soprano, Parris Mone't Lewis is a native of Brooklyn, New York who earned her BS in Music Education K-12 from Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. When she is not on stage, Ms. Lewis spends part of her time facilitating arts programming within the NYCDOE and the Future Music Project at Carnegie Hall. Her credits include:The Color Purple Musical (Broadway National Tour); STONEWALL (New York City Opera);Pyer Moss (New York Fashion Week); Bars Workshop (The Public Theatre); Pray (Ars Nova); A Time Like This (Carnegie Hall); Richard Tucker Gala (Carnegie Hall); Porgy & Bess (Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra).

Mostly Modern Projects was founded in 2005 with a boutique classical recording label, Lumiere Records and American Modern Recordings, as well as the NYC-based ensemble, American Modern Ensemble. The mission of Mostly Modern is to present definitive, professional performances and recordings of the highest caliber to the widest possible audience. MMP includes the Mostly Modern Festival, an annual three-week summer festival every June, in Saratoga Springs, New York. AME is celebrating its 15th season in 2020-21, having just been awarded the National Endowment for the Arts grant. In 2020, Music & Medicine was founded to provide much-needed healing, restoration, and joy to hospitals, community centers, retirement homes, parks, and businesses throughout New York City, as well as upstate New York.

David Rosenmeyer has been Music Director of the Fairfield County Chorale since 2012 where he conducted works as Bach’s Mass in B minor, Verdi’s Requiem and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. This is his 15th season as Associate Conductor of the Oratorio Society of New York. Mr. Rosenmeyer conducted major orchestras in Latin America, including the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional and Teatro Colon of Argentina, Orquesta Sinfónica de Concepción of Chile, and Bellas Opera of Mexico. In 2007, he was music director for Salzburg Marionette Theatre’s production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music, which toured the U.S.